WASHINGTON—In a July 26
letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, 30 Jewish, Christian and Muslim
religious leaders, including three Catholic bishops, voiced "strong support for
his determined initiative for Israeli-Palestinian peace." In letters to the leadership
of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs
Committee, the leaders called on Congress "to support Secretary Kerry's
continuing urgent efforts for peace."

Catholic signers were Cardinal Theodore McCarrick,
retired archbishop of Washington and a founding member of the National
Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East; Bishop
Richard E. Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee
on International Justice and Peace; and Bishop Denis J. Madden, auxiliary
bishop of Baltimore and chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Ecumenical
and Interreligious Affairs.

The religious leaders warmly
welcomed Secretary Kerry's announcement of an agreement "that establishes the
basis for resuming direct final status negotiations between the Palestinians
and the Israelis." They noted the progress of earlier formal and informal
negotiations, saying "while these talks have yet to yield a blueprint for
peace, they have identified ideas for addressing key issues that must be
resolved in a manner acceptable to both sides."

The Jewish, Christian and Muslim
leaders offered their prayers for Secretary Kerry's efforts and pledged that
they "are prepared through the national organizations we represent to activate
members of synagogues, churches and mosques across the country to support bold
American leadership for peace."

"We know the path to peace is
complex and challenging," the leaders said, "but peace is possible."

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